1 .TH DH_INSTALLDOCS 1 "" "Debhelper Commands" "Debhelper Commands"
3 dh_installdocs \- install documentation into package build directories
6 .I "[debhelper options] [-A] [-n] [file ...]"
8 dh_installdocs is a debhelper program that is responsible for installing
9 documentation into usr/doc/package in package build directories.
11 dh_installdocs automatically installs debian/copyright if it exists. If
12 dh_installdocs is acting on multiple packages, debian/copyright files will be
13 installed into all packages. However, if you need to have seperate copyright
14 files for different binary packages, you can use files named
15 debian/package.copyright.
17 Any filenames specified as parameters will be installed into the first
18 package dh_installdocs is told to act on. By default, this is the first
19 binary package in debian/control, but if you use -p, -i, or -a flags, it
20 will be the first package specified by those flags.
22 Also, debian/README.Debian (or debian/README.debian) and debian/TODO, if
23 they exist, will be installed into the first binary package listed in
24 debian/control, if dh_installdocs is acting on that package. Note that
25 debian/TODO will be installed named TODO.Debian, if the package is not a
26 debian native package. Also note that README.debian is installed as
27 README.Debian, for consitency. Note that debian/package.README.Debian and
28 debian/package.TODO can be used to specify files for subpackages.
30 A file named debian/package.docs (debian/docs may be used for the first
31 binary package in debian/control) can list other files to be installed.
33 A file named debian/package.doc-base (debian/doc-base may be used for the
34 first binary package in debian/control), if it exists, will make
35 dh_installdocs use that file as a doc-base control file, and will
36 automatically generate the postinst and prerm commands needed to
37 interface with the doc-base package. See
39 for an explanation of how this works. Note that the package name will be
40 used as the doc-base document id.
42 If your package needs to register more
43 than one document, you need multiple files. To accomplish this, you can use
44 files named debian/package.doc-base.docid. The "docid" on the end is a
45 string that is combined with the package name to generate a unique doc-base
52 for a list of options common to all debhelper commands.
55 Install all files specified by command line parameters in ALL packages
59 Do not modify postinst/prerm scripts.
62 Install these files as documentation into the first package acted on. (Or in
63 all packages if -A is specified).
65 Note that dh_installdocs will happily copy entire directory hierarchies if
66 you ask it to (it uses cp -a internally). If it is asked to install a
67 directory, it will install the complete contents of the directory.
71 for a list of environment variables that affect all debhelper commands.
77 It's impossible to specify filenames with spaces or other whitespace in them
78 in debian/docs file. This is more a historical design flaw than a bug.
80 Debian policy, version 2.5.0.0
82 Joey Hess <joeyh@master.debian.org>